Canadian researchers out of the Center for Addiction and
Mental Health in Toronto
say that moderate drinkers who occasionally binge drink are 45% more likely to
develop heart disease than moderate drinkers who don’t binge.

Occasional binging was defined as having more than 5
drinks in a sitting more than 12 times per year. Daily binge drinkers were not
included in the comparison study.

To come up with the risk statistics, the researchers
evaluated data from 14 international studies involving more than 50 000
drinkers. Some of the studies compared the habits of heart disease patients to those
without heart disease and others were simply longitudinal observation studies
that linked behaviors to health consequences.

The researchers say that heavy (binge drinking) can raise
blood pressure, cause blood clotting and heart rhythm disturbances negative
consequences that seem to more than counteract the modest benefits provided by
the moderate consumption of alcohol.

Other studies have shown that a drink or 2 a day can
raise good cholesterol levels and reduce the risks of blood clotting.

Lead researcher, Michael Roerecke says that the study
results show clearly that while some moderate drinking may have some benefits,
that, “not all alcohol consumption is good for health.”

Here are 2 facts about alcoholism: It tends to get worse over time (it is progressive) and most people experience a fairly similar progression of symptoms and consequences. Here is a timeline which charts the progressive experiences of alcoholism through the early, middle and late stages. If you have a drinking problem, find out where you fall on the timeline and consider what’s coming in the future. Read Article